Kazumi Totaka's Song Guide
Information | Updates | Appearances | Still to Find | Videos
Information
While browsing other Nintendo sites you may have heard of a strange song in Mario Paint that seems to crop up in several other games. The "Mario Paint Song" is a series of deep, arcade-style beeps arranged in a fairly simple tune. Most people know about its appearance in Yoshi's Story and Animal Crossing, but it has been tucked away in many other games as well. But why is this strange tune cropping up anywhere in the first place?
Well, Nintendo Database solved the mystery!
Kazumi Totaka, a young music composer at Nintendo, has worked on every game in which the song appears. Totaka is also known by the nickname "Totakeke" - the name of the music-loving dog in Animal Crossing who provides one version of the song, and a secret trigger in the Japanese version of Link's Awakening for another.
So it's not the "Mario Paint Song", it's Kazumi Totaka's Song, which is confirmed now that X features the earliest known appearance of the song. We still aren't sure why the song has become a running joke at Nintendo, or what the idea behind it was in the first place. So if you find any more clues, or even if you just find the song hidden in a game not mentioned here, please send me an email to let me know.
Of course, many of these discoveries have been made by fans of the site, and their dedication to finding the song is much appreciated.
Latest Updates
2nd March 2007
- Added an all new appearance in a minigame unlocked using an Animal Crossing e-Reader card.
- Added the Videos section, courtesy of Phil Bond and Powet.tv.
- Corrected some submission credits.
4th February 2007
- Added an MP3 of the song to Yoshi's Touch & Go, contributed by Corey Scott.
30th January 2007
- The song has finally been found in Luigi's Mansion - just after I lost the internet for a couple months.
- The song has also been found in X - making it the first known appearance of Totaka's Song.
- Kazumi Totaka has been confirmed to be the composer on Wii Sports, although the song has yet to be found.
Appearances
X
System: Game Boy
Year: 1992
Game Page
The soundtrack for this game, the first known Nintendo game that Kazumi Totaka worked on, has finally been ripped! And, as I have long suspected, Totaka's Song does indeed appear, finally usurping Mario Paint as the first game to feature this hidden bonus track.
Julian Seymour is the man responsible for ripping the soundtrack, finding this gem, and wrapping it up with an MP3 for us. He is also in the process of playing through the game to find where the music appears. Good luck to him, and stay tuned for updates!
- Download GBS Soundtrack Dump (Track 17)
- Download MP3
Mario Paint
System: Super Famicom / SNES
Year: 1992
Game Page
On the title screen, click on the O at the end of "MARIO". It will turn into a bomb and explode, scattering the letters everywhere. The music will stop and in its place will play Kazumi Totaka's song.
Thanks to David Dayton for supplying the MP3 of the song.
Kaeru no Tameni Kaneha Naru
System: Game Boy
Year: 1992
Game Page
When you return to the third village after your trip to the castle, a new building will have appeared near the ship. Go inside and wait for a couple of minutes. The music will change to Kazumi Totaka's song.
Thanks to Matthew Broussard for bringing this appearance to my attention.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
System: Game Boy
Year: 1992
Game Page
Lose all of your lives so you get the Game Over screen. Wait on the screen for a minute or so, and Kazumi Totaka's song will play.
Thanks to David Dayton for supplying the MP3 of the song.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening / DX
System: Game Boy / Game Boy Color
Year: 1993 / 1998
Game Page / Game Page (DX)
There are actually three versions of Kazumi Totaka's song in the game's soundtrack, but so far only two of them have been found in the game.
1. You meet up with a character called Richard during your search for the Slime Key. Richard, the frogs in his house and the background music are all originally from Kaeru no Tameni Kaneha Naru - another of Totaka's games. If you wait for the music in his villa to loop several times, Kazumi Totaka's Song will begin to play.
2. On the title screen in the Japanese version of the game, if you enter your name as Totakeke then the File Select music will change to a remix of Kazumi Totaka's song. The only other version of the game this works in is the German version of Link's Awakening DX, only you have to enter "MOYSE" as your name. Claude Moyse was the German translator on the game.
3. A third instance of Totaka's Song has been heard on the game's dumped music soundtrack, but so far has not been found in the game. It sounds like it is played on one of the Instruments of the Sirens.
Thanks to David Dayton for supplying the MP3s.
VB Wario Land
System: Virtual Boy
Year: 1995
Game Page
After completing the game, wait for the credits to end until the END screen shows up. Now wait for 1 minute and 15 seconds, and Totaka's Song will start playing.
I haven't confirmed this one myself, but it has been confirmed by a reliable source. Thanks to Matthew Broussard and Nick Barba for submitting it, and to Phil Bond for confirming it.
Yoshi's Story
System: Nintendo 64
Year: 1997
Game Page
Wait for a moment on the Trial Mode stage select screen. After the music has looped a few times it will stop and Kazumi Totaka's song will play.
Thanks to David Dayton for supplying the MP3 of the song.
Mario Artist: Talent Studio
System: 64DD
Year: 2000
Game Page
This has not been confirmed by Nintendo Database yet. During one of the animations, a slow man is crossing the road as a fast car approaches. During the scenes starring the slow man, Kazumi Totaka's song will play.
Doubutsu no Mori / Animal Crossing
System: Nintendo 64 / Gamecube
Year: 2001
Game Page (N64) / Game Page (GC)
The guitar playing dog, K.K. Slider (Totakeke), is actually based on Kazumi Totaka. It should come as no surprise then that the song also makes an appearance. On a Saturday night, make a request for "K.K. Song". It's Kazumi Totaka's song, whistled by K.K. Slider. When you receive the aircheck, it sounds more like the digital versions from the other games.
Thanks to David Dayton for supplying the MP3s.
Animal Crossing e-Reader Card
System: Game Boy Advance
Year: 2002
Nathanael Wade submitted a new appearance of Totaka's Song to Phil Bond at Powet.tv, who passed this appearance on to Nintendo Database. I shall let Phil Bond describe the appearance:
"It's card number P15, "Boy," "Who's Dunnit?" In the viewer-submitted video there's much text on the screen, and even in the higher-resolution .MOV that he sent to Powet, it's still totally illegible, but you can see the mild-tempered police dog in the lower right of the screen, and you can hear a distinct new version of Totaka's Song, clear as a bell."
The song may also appear on several other cards. The prime candidate is P13. It may also worth noting that Kazumi Totaka is listed as a sound designer for the e-Reader itself.
Stay tuned for updates as they happen, or feel free to submit more information if you think you can help!
Luigi's Mansion
System: Gamecube
Year: 2001
Game Page
After you first meet E.Gadd, you will be asked to do some training with the Poultergust. Before your training begins you will see a screen where you are shown the controls of the game. Wait on this screen for 3 minutes and 25 seconds, and the music changes to Kazumi Totaka's Song.
This long-hidden appearance was uncovered by Nick Barba - tireless Totaka's Song searcher.
Pikmin 2
System: Gamecube
Year: 2004
Game Page
Go into any cave you have NOT yet completed - and complete it by collecting all of the treasure. When you exit the cave using the geyser at the end you will be taken to the Treasures Salvaged screen, where a message will pop up saying "Cave Completed", and twinkling confetti will start being sprinkled everywhere. Wait on this screen for a few minutes and Totaka's Song will start playing.
Note that if you have not completed the cave, or if you have completed the cave before and have just run through it again, the confetti will not appear and the song will not play.
Thanks to George Morgan for submitting this appearance, and for his help in confirming it.
Yoshi Touch & Go!
System: Nintendo DS
Year: 2005
Game Page
On the Marathon mode you will sometimes cross through a mountainous area where winds blow away your clouds. Pause the game and listen for a while. Eventually Kazumi Totaka's song will play.
A big thanks go to Corey Scott for recording the MP3.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
System: Nintendo DS
Year: 2005
Game Page
K.K. Slider and his song returns in this game. As before, request "K.K. Song" to receive a whistled remix and an original aircheck.
Still to Find
Kazumi Totaka has worked on more games than the ones that appear above, but so far no occurences of the song have been found. If you can help, please let me know.
Wave Race 64 (N64 1996)
We are running out of old games to look for Totaka's Song in. If you find it in Wave Race 64 you will certainly be bringing us right up to date!
Wii Sports (Wii 2006)
Kazumi Totaka has been confirmed as the music man for this ever-popular Wii gem. So get searching for that song!
Note: Kazumi Totaka is credited in a lot more games than those that appear above - but not as a music composer. He is usually credited as the voice of Yoshi, or appears in Special Thanks sections. The song is not going to appear in these games.
Videos (Powet.tv)
Contributor and Totaka's Song hunter Phil Bond has produced a series of videos for Powet.tv that brings to life Totaka's Song for the unitiated. With his permission, I can now offer you links to the videos directly. Enjoy!
Please note that all links in this section take you to an external site. NinDB is in no way responsible for the content of Powet.tv.
Gaming Archaeology: Totaka's Song
First in the series, providing information on how to find the song in Mario Paint, Super Mario Land 2, LoZ: Link's Awakening & DX, Yoshi's Story, Animal Crossing, Yoshi's Touch & Go, .
Gaming Archaeology: Totaka's Song Revisited
Update featuring new findings in Pikmin 2 and VB Wario Land. Please note that Wario Land for Game Boy is not a candidate for Totaka's Song.
Gaming Archaeology: Totaka's Song Part 3
Second update featuring Luigi's Mansion.
Totaka Tidbit
A Powet.tv reader dropped off a recording of the appearance in Kaeru no Tameni.
Brand New Totaka's Song Discovery
Powet.tv reader Nathanael Wade recorded this all-new appearance in the Animal Crossing e-Reader series.
